Going Deep: Midstate great Ben Olsen established some mighty lofty standards for other southcentral Pennsylvanians to live up to during his sparkling soccer career

“He’s such an idol because of everything he’s done, whether it’s the [U.S.] National Team, whether it’s [playing for Major League Soccer’s] D.C. United, whether it’s like Dick’s [Sporting Goods] commercials. That’s the things as a soccer player that you want to accomplish.”

Jason Pelletier made those comments nearly three years ago, just a week before the Harrisburg City Islanders were scheduled to meet a D.C. United club featuring former Middletown High School great Ben Olsen in a quarterfinal-round match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Even though Olsen did not appear in that Open Cup scrap — fellow Middletown alums Pelletier and Geoff Bloes did play for a City Islanders side that tumbled 2-1 despite playing most of the second half without Moffat Oduor — the reverence shown prior to the game was palpable.

And understandably so.

Easily the most-accomplished soccer player to emerge from southcentral Pennsylvania to this point, the 5-8, 155-pound Olsen established some mighty standards during a fabulous career that took him to every corner of the planet and allowed him to play with and against some of the game’s giants.

For instance:

û

Associated PressMiddletown's Ben Olsen works out with his U.S. National Team teammates during the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Olsen made 37 appearances for the USMNT before retiring in 2009.

û Olsen spent his entire domestic career playing for D.C. United, with whom he claimed MLS championships in 1999 and 2004. The former high school All-American — he was PARADE Magazine’s player of the year in 1995 — also was named MLS’ rookie of the year in 1998.

û Olsen also spent a short stretch on loan to England’s Nottingham Forest. Unfortunately, he suffered the first of several ankle injuries while overseas, limiting his transfer options.

û Even before shifting gears and moving into the professional ranks, the high-octane Olsen reaped All-America honors at Virginia, collecting 34 goals and 41 assists for a Cavaliers program that reached two Final Fours and one national title game during his three seasons in Charlottesville.

û Olsen also played in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, sparking the Americans to a fourth-place finish. He prepped for that event at CONCACAF’s qualifying tournament, a week-long event brought to Hershey by the late Todd Smith, then general manager of the A-League’s Wildcats.

skippering the same D.C. United franchise for which he starred as a high-flying winger and later as a holding midfielder. In fact, United was sitting in second place in the 10-team Eastern Conference when the weekend began.

“He was [Soccer America’s] collegiate player of the year, MLS’ rookie of the year and I don’t think the younger players around here appreciate that,” said Bobby Warshaw, the former Mechanicsburg High School and Stanford All-American who wore Olsen’s No. 14 while toiling on the West Coast.

“Hearing some of the history of soccer in the area,” added Warshaw, who made his professional debut with F.C. Dallas last season in Washington, hustling on to the RFK Stadium pitch mere feet from where the attentive Olsen stood coaching. “My understanding is it’s Ben and everyone else.”

Pelletier, part of the 2001 Middletown team that collared a 2001 PIAA Class AA championship with Olsen sitting in the Hersheypark Stadium stands, won’t disagree with that assessment.

“Oh, yeah,” the 27-year-old says. “There’s not many Americans

Associated PressFor a time, Middletown's Ben Olsen wasn't the only Harrisburg-area player on the D.C. United roster. Cumberland Valley's Josh Gros also played for United.

period that made it to European football. For him to be so local and so close, watching him in World Cups and stuff was pretty crazy. Just seeing him play and things like that. ... That was one thing.

“Seeing him play when I was younger, obviously I always aspired to doing that,” adds Pelletier, who recalls kickarounds with teammate Joe Rados and Olsen, who was dating Rados’ sister. “That’s just something where you always look up to him, but think maybe I can do as good as him.

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